Scott Alexander explores how people can have vastly different experiences of the world and others, even in similar circumstances, due to social bubbles, varying interpretations of social cues, and unconscious influences. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses how people can have vastly different experiences of the world and other people, even when in similar circumstances. He starts by recounting his experience as a psychiatrist, where his patients behaved differently from those of his colleagues, possibly due to his unconscious influence. He then explores the concept of paranoia and its opposite in Williams Syndrome, suggesting that people naturally vary in their tendency to interpret ambiguous situations positively or negatively. The post then delves into the concept of social bubbles, noting how the author's social circle differs dramatically from the general population in various ways. Finally, he ties these ideas together, proposing that people's different experiences of the world - whether they find others to be kind or cruel, discriminatory or accepting - may be due to a combination of self-selection into different social bubbles, varying tendencies in interpreting social cues, and unconscious influences on others' behavior. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines a theory linking autism and schizophrenia to human self-domestication, initially dismissing it before reconsidering its merits in light of Williams Syndrome. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses a theory suggesting that autism and schizophrenia are anomalies in human self-domestication. He initially dismisses the theory, pointing out inconsistencies and over-reaching comparisons. However, he then considers Williams Syndrome, which appears to fit the 'hyperdomestication' model better. Scott concludes that while autism and schizophrenia may not be exact opposites of domestication, they likely involve a biological system determining trust and sociability, which is linked to embryological development. He suggests that an embryological approach might be more fruitful in studying these conditions. Shorter summary